CHALLENGERS (2024) – Another winning movie from Call Me by Your Name’s Luca Guadagnino
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

Challengers starts off looking like a sports movie about tennis tournaments but soon evolves into something far more intriguing as the movie jumps back and forth timelines to tell the story in a nonlinear manner. I am usually not a fan of movies jumping around timelines as I get confused over which timeline we are looking at. This story telling technique fortunately is done very well here. For one thing, the timeline is always flashed on the screen before the scene plays out. More importantly, the scenes are always relevant or directly related to the present timeline story and blends in without causing confusion.
This is basically three characters play as the story revolves around their friendship / romantic relationship with each other over the years. Zendaya whom loved watching so much in the DUNE movies is Tashi, an ambitious former tennis prodigy whose rising potential was cut short by an unfortunate injury. She catches the attention of two tennis players who are best of friends which soon progresses into something more than just teenage crush as their fixation turns to romantic feelings. All three are excellent tennis players but end up in very different paths as they grow up. Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor (best known in his role as Prince Charles in The Crown for which he was nominated for a BAFTA) play the bosom tennis buddies. Together with Zendaya they light up the screen with their spirited performances alternating between timelines that requires them to look and behave with different mindsets at different ages. Director Luca Guadagnino (best known for Call Me by Your Name) is blessed with an excellent cast and he spices up the movie with his creative touch. Luca can turn any scene into something special and interesting whether we are watching a tennis match or seeing three persons having a conversation together in a room, or an exchange of words in a sauna. In many ways Challengers feels far more accessible than Call Me by Your Name as the story and characters are more identifiable and for viewers to have empathy for. This is already one of my favourite movies this year!
Lastly, a word about the film’s killer ending. As the movie progresses to its nail-biting final act, the motivations of the characters and the outcome of their actions become less and less obvious and literally bursts into an energy that rivals any final competition in a sporting event. The film may be showing us a gripping tennis match being played out, but the tension on the court extends to the individual characters’ hopes and their collective desire to achieve something even greater than winning a competition. This is testament to the enormous talents of Luca Guadagnino that he can manage to convey such a mixed bag of emotions in this last act through slick editing, camera work, facial and body language, and almost sans dialouge. Pure cinema!